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Police arrest alleged peeping Tom after mall incidents

A Windsor Mill man has been charged in several peeping Tom incidents that happened in men's public bathrooms in several places, including the Mall in Columbia. George Lettis has details on the investigation.

A Windsor Mill man has been charged in several peeping Tom incidents that happened in men's public bathrooms in several places, including the Mall in Columbia. George Lettis has details on the investigation.

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Updated: 7:53 AM EDT Aug 28, 2014

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WEBVTT PLUS, WHO IS THE PEEPING TOM? AUTHORITIES SAID TO HAVE CHARGED A 48-YEAR-OLD MAN IN CONNECTION WITH SEVERAL INCIDENTS AT PUBLIC RESTROOMS INSIDE AT LEAST TWO SHOPPING CENTERS. GEORGE LETTIS IS LIVE AT SECURITY SQUARE MALL TONIGHT WHERE THEY SAY SOME OF THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED. THIS IS ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE UNDERCOVER OFFICERS FOLLOWED THE SUSPECT. MARK DAWSON WAS ARRESTED A WEEK AGO AFTER POLICE SAY THE 48-YEAR-OLD REPEATEDLY FOLLOWED MEN AND TEEN BOYS INTO THE PUBLIC BATHROOMS TO TRY TO LOOK AT THEIR GENITALS. EARLIER THIS MONTH THE COLUMBIA MALL SECURITY GUARD TOLD HOWARD COUNTY POLICE ABOUT A SUSPICIOUS PERSON GOING INTO MALL BATHROOMS. NEXT WE LOOKED AT VIDEOTAPES THAT SHOWED HIM INJURING THE -- ENTERING THE MEN'S ROOM 31 TIMES WITHIN TWO HOURS. EXTANT DETECTIVES WORKING UNDERCOVER STARTED FOLLOWING DAWSON AND SAW HIM GO INTO BATHROOMS AT SECURITY SQUARE MALL IN BALTIMORE AND THIS CATONSVILLE HOME DEPOT. SOME OF OUR UNDERCOVER DETECTIVES POSED AS VICTIMS TO SEE IF THE SUSPECT WOULD FOLLOW AND WHAT HIS BEHAVIOR WAS ONCE HE GOT INSIDE SO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE NOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE ARREST. IN THE BATHROOMS, DETECTIVES SAY DAWSON WOULD STAND CLOSE BY AND MAKE IT OBVIOUS WHAT HE WANTED TO SEE. IN ONE CASE AT THE HOME DEPOT, AND UNDERCOVER OFFICER SAW AN ALLEGED VICTIM IN DISTRESS AFTER HE LEFT THE BATHROOM. IT WAS A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS WITH HIS MOTHER. HE WAS A TEENAGER AND HE CAME OUT OF THE BATHROOM EXPRESSED TO HIS MOM CONCERN ABOUT THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN IN THE BATHROOM WITH HIM AND COINCIDENTALLY ONE OF OUR UNDERCOVER DETECTIVES WHO WAS NEARBY. SO FAR POLICE DON'T HAVE EVIDENCE DAWSON TOUCHED ANY OF THE VICTIMS. HE WAS RELEASED ON $15,000 BAIL. WE TRY TO GET HIS SIDE OF THE STORY, BUT WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. HOWARD COUNTY POLICE ARE HOPING OTHER POSSIBLE VICTIMS COME FORWARD SO THEY CAN BUILD THEIR CASE AGAINST DAWSON. COURT RECORDS SHOW THAT BACK IN EARLY 1990'S, DAWSON WAS CONVICTED OF SEX CRIMES. HE SERVED FIVE YEARS ON

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Police arrest alleged peeping Tom after mall incidents

A Windsor Mill man has been charged in several peeping Tom incidents that happened in men's public bathrooms in several places, including the Mall in Columbia. George Lettis has details on the investigation.